Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 3 eggs
- 85g golden caster sugar
- 85g plain flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
For the filling and icing:
- 50g butter
- 140g dark chocolate, broken up
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 284ml pot double cream
- 200g sifted icing sugar
- Icing sugar & a sprig of holly to decorate (remove the holly before serving!)
Method:
- Heat the oven to 180C fan and butter and line a 23 x 32cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper
- Beat the eggs and sugar together until thick and creamy, ideally with an electric whisk
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together, then sift onto the egg mixture
- Fold in very carefully, then pour into the tin. Tip the tin from side to side to spread the mixture into the corners. Bake for 10 minutes
- Lay a sheet of baking paper on a work surface, big enough for the cake to fit. When the cake is baked, tip it onto the parchment and peel off the lining paper, then roll the cake up from its longest edge with the paper inside. Leave it to cool
- Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Take off the heat and stir in the golden syrup and 5 tbsp double cream. Beat in the icing sugar until smooth
- In a separate bowl, whisk the rest of the double cream until it holds its shape
- Once cool, unravel the cake and spread the cream over the top, then carefully roll up again into a log
- Cut a diagonal slice from one end of the log. Place the larger log on a serving plate, then arrange the smaller slice with the diagonal cut against the cake to make a branch
- Spread the chocolate icing over the log and branch but don’t cover the ends, and drag a fork through the icing to create the effect of tree bark. Finish off with a dusting of icing sugar and add a sprig of holly! Remove the holly and any berries before serving!)
This yule log will make a spectacular centre piece for your table. To serve, you can add pouring cream or extra thick double cream (or even Bailey’s extra thick double cream) for a beautifully indulgent dessert!
Merry Christmas from The Winchester Bakery